"Like in BioShock, our focus has been on building a strong atmosphere for an intriguing journey into the unknown. There are also plenty of parallels between Rapture and our destroyed utopian Dubai in Spec Ops: The Line.

"Also, BioShock really gave you the feeling that water was an ever-present element of nature threatening and engulfing the characters and environment. In our game, sand becomes that element and the player experiences it quite frequently in the gameplay."

He continued: "Spec Ops: The Line also takes place in a very unique environment, which is Dubai after it has been cut off from civilisation by monstrous sandstorms. The sand creates a very surreal visual environment, and also many interesting possibilities in terms of gameplay."

Spec Ops: The Line will be released later this year on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.